Huawei is preparing to take another swing at the performance smartwatch category. Leaks suggest a rugged new model, internally called “Chitu”, is in the pipeline with ambitions to rival Garmin’s top-tier sports watches.
Huawei shifts focus to serious sports tracking
The upcoming device is rumoured to carry the name Racing Legend or possibly Track Legend, depending on translation. It’s being positioned not as a casual fitness watch, but as a serious training tool for athletes. That places it in the same space Garmin has long dominated with its Fenix and Forerunner lines.
This wouldn’t be Huawei’s first foray into sports wearables. Previous efforts like the Watch GT Runner aimed at runners, but didn’t fully challenge Garmin in terms of features or ecosystem depth. This time, the signals point to a more competitive push.
The choice of the codename “Chitu”, and the Racing Legend branding, reinforces the performance narrative. There’s no official confirmation yet, but the tone is clear. Huawei wants to be taken seriously in the endurance athlete market.
Colour and strap customisation options
Design-wise, Huawei seems to be leaning into a bold aesthetic. Leaked details point to four colour variants: Shadow Black, Dawn Orange, Chi Guang Blue, and a special edition version. That already suggests something beyond the usual black-or-silver formula.
There’s also talk of 22 strap variations, available in both 16mm and 22mm widths. That’s unusually broad and could be a hint that Huawei plans to ship both a smaller and larger version of the watch. Garmin, for example, regularly offers its Fenix and Epix lines in multiple case sizes to accommodate different wrist sizes and use cases. Huawei may be adopting a similar strategy.
Gunning for Garmin’s performance segment
The biggest takeaway here is the direction Huawei seems to be taking. While its previous models have balanced lifestyle and health features, this one is likely to tilt more toward training metrics and outdoor navigation. If Huawei loads this watch with accurate dual-band GPS, strong battery life, offline mapping and reliable HR tracking, it could begin to chip away at Garmin’s base.
That said, matching Garmin is not just about hardware. Software reliability, analytics, third-party integrations and long-term support also play a major role. Garmin’s ecosystem is built around consistency across devices and its platform, while Huawei’s current setup still lacks that depth.
It will be interesting to see whether this Racing Legend model brings something new to the table or if it’s mostly a repackaging of existing hardware in a sportier shell. Either way, Huawei appears ready to stake a claim in a market it previously only skirted.
Source: @Digitalchatstation via Weibo
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